Polishing wheel



R. z. HOPKINS ETAL POLISHING WHEEL Filed Sept. 21. 1928 Aug. 18, 1931.

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Patented Aug. 18, 1931 UNITED: STATES PATENT b m' v RALPH z. HOPKINS AND EARL F. SEGER, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, AssIGNons T HUDSON MOTOR can COMPANY, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, Af'coRPona'rIoN on MICHIGAN roLisnme WHEEL Application filed September 21,1928. 'SeriaI No. 307,461.

This invention relates to a'polishing' or sanding device. While the invention may be usefully applied in a great variety of ways it has been devised primarily for use in connection with surfaces to which lacquer or some other finishing material has been applied, to give a smooth and polished finish thereto.

An object of the invention is to provide a 19 simple and efficient mechanism for performing polishing and sanding operations mechanically.

In treating surfaces,.such as automobile bodies for example, to which lacquer or some other finishing compound has been applied the surface is ordinarily first smoothedby a manual sanding operation and is then polished and brought to a final lustre by further manual rubbing operations. This work required a great deal of heavy hand labor,

and is slow and expensive.

The polishing or sanding device disclosed herein removes the hard labor from these operations and gives a higher and longer lasting lustre to the surface treated besides greatly reducing the cost of the operation.

Before explaining in detail the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be r understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the invention beyond the terms of the several claims hereto appended as considered in view of the prior art and the requirements thereof.

The invention will best be understood if the following description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

- Fig. 4 is a detail viewpartly in section showing the manner in which the-rubbing elements are mounted. V I Fig. 5 is a perspective View of one of the rubbing elements showing the slots provided for engagement with a retaining member. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a. retaining member having tongues engageable with the slots of a rubbing element. 1

Fig. 7 is a vertical'section of one of the rubbing elements and, I Fig. 8 is a detail view showing the manner in which the rod ends are secured. 1

Referring to the drawings and particularly Figs. 1 and 2 the device includes a rotary sup: port 10 which in the form illustrated herein is spool-shaped and is provided with annular flange members 11, 12 and 16, of considerably greater diameter than the body of the support. The rotor 10 is mounted upon a-shaft 13 by which it may be connected with any suitable source of portable or stationary power.- Mounted between the end members 11 and 12 and spaced around theperiphery of the rotor, as illustrated in Fig. 1, a-re the rods 14. The supporting flanges 11:and 12 are provided with a number of holes'15 through which the rods 14 may be inserted; The rods are retained in place at one end by the heads 1400 which abut againstthe outer face of'the flange 11 and are detachablyse cured'at the other end by means of the cotter pins 21 to the cars 17 carried upon the inner face ofthe flange 16. I We provide the support 10 with detachable rubbing elements 22, whichas shown in Figs. 5 and 7, are preferably trough shaped having'a back portionor web 22a and outwardly extending side portions 22?) which constitute the actual rubbing surfaces. The polishing elements may be made of any well known polishing or abradingmaterial, depending upon the character of the work to be treated. The back portion 22a of each of-the rubbing elements is provided with slots 23 to receive the tongues '24ofa; retainingstrip- 25. The

retainer-25 is adapted to fit interiorly of the rubbing elements 22 and when the parts are assembled, the tongues 24 are in register with the slots 23 of the rubbing elements and-proi100 ject therethrough. Each of the tongues 24 is provided with an eyelet 26 adapted to receive one of the rods 14.

In assembling the device the retainers 25 are placed within the rubbing elements 22 with the tongues 24 projecting through the slots 23. The rods 14 are then inserted through the holes 15 in the flange 11, threaded through the eyelets 26 in the tongues, and the holes 15 in the flange '12, the free ends of the rods then'being secured to the ears 17 carried bythe end flange 16, in any suitable manner, as by means of the cotter pins 21.

It will be noted that each of the rubbing elements 22 in the present instance comprises agp'air of spaced blades 22?) extending radiallyifrom the axis of-the drum. It will also be noted that the rods 14 are each supported by means of the flanges 11 and 12 at the opposite ends of the rods, each rod being spaced fromtheperiphery of the drum intermediate the supporting flanges so as to provide a yielding support for the rubbing elements. This manner of mounting the rubbing elements gives a cushioned effect to the device.

In operation the wheel is rotated from a suitable source of power connected to the shaft 13, and the outer edges of the blades 2% are brought in contact with the surface to besanded or polished. The drum is ordinarily rotated at relatively high speed, thereby setting'up a centrifugal action on the rubhing elements. On account of the cushioned support for each-ofthe rubbing elements, the

centrifugal action'on these elements enables them to accommodate themselves to irregularities in the surface over which they move and'to all concave and convex surfaces. This feature of the device is very desirable for automobile body work.

It will be understoodthat during the rotation of the drum and as the blades rotate into position to engage the surface of the body panel with a rapid sliding motion the frictio'nal action on the surface causes the tem-v perature'to rise. The fan construction of the rubbing elements, however, sets up substantial-air currents over the surface being polished which immediately reduces the frictional heat to the original temperature.

The device disclosed herein may be made of anylength or 'sizedepen'din'g upon the power supply. Anyzpart or section may be quickly replaced without replacing the whole assenibly and rubbing elementsof varying nature may be substituted according to the work to be accomplished. I

' Wecla-iint. 7

"1. A'polishingor sanding device comprising a rotary drum having end support members, a number of rubbing elements having offset portions and provided with slots, retainingmembers having tongues engageable with said slots, and provided with eyelets,

" a-nda-number of rods adapted to be inserted through the eyelets of the respective members and to be demountably secured between said end support members.

2. A polishing or sanding device comprising a rotary drum having end support members, a plurality of rubbing elements having oifset portions and provided with slots, retaining members having tongues engageable with said slots, and provided with eyelets, and a plurality of rods engageable with said eyelets and said end support members to maintain the parts in assembled relation out of contact with the surface of said drum.

3. A polishing device comprising a rotary drum having end flanges, a rubbing element having a base provided with a slot and offset portions extending from said base, a retaining member having a tongue provided with a hole engageable with said slot, and a rod adapted to be inserted through said hole and to be demountably secured between said flanges.

4. A polishing device comprising a rotary drum having end flanges, a rubbing element having a base provided with a slot and offset portions extending from said base, a retaining member having a tongue provided with a hole engageable with said slot, and means engageable with said hole and flanges to maintain the parts in assembled relation out of contact with said drum.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

. RALPH Z. HOPKINS.

EARL F. SEGER. 

